Fake Conversations with Those Newly on TV
I was a semi-active participant in Parkes' Getting Blanked pre-Opening Day chat, partly because my Internet was spotty and partly because Parkes' was stingy with the approval button. But many good questions were asked and Parkes (and Stoeten and Drew) answered. I thought I would take some of those questions and answer them, you know, correctly.
LET US BEGIN:
[Comment From PdcDPdcD: ] |
Dustin Parkes: I really, really like Edwin Encarnacion's chances
Drew Fairservice: Rajai Davis?
Stoeten: The way people keep talking about Encarnacion it's not going to be a surprise if he kills it. I'd put my money on Rajai Davis as well.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: Likely, it will be no one, because Bautista had the kind of magical season that happen very rarely in this game. But I suspect Encarnacion is going to do well just because he looks damn fit. And as Parkes points out, another season of wrist healing.
[Comment From KathsportKathsport: ]
do you guys think the Jays are gonna have a huge upper hand over the sox' pitching because of Farrell??
Dustin Parkes: This is a good question, but I think the upper hand actually comes from Farrell knowing how pitchers approach certain Blue Jays in at bats.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: The other thing Farrell knows are scouting reports and flaws of hitters from the opposite perspective. But I'm guessing the upper-hand won't be huge. If it were, the Yankees would've been hiring rival pitching coaches for a long time now. It probably balances out.
Stoeten: I agree with Parkes on that one. It should be interesting to watch how they handle the Sox, though-- and how the SOSH types react if we get to their pitchers.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: Ah yes, the SOSH types are never not fun.
[Comment From Andy McAndy Mc: ]
Over / Under 1. Bautista 32 HR; 2. Davis 60 SB; 3. Escobar .350 OBP
Dustin Parkes: 1. Under 2. Under 3. Under.
Drew Fairservice: Underunderunder
Stoeten: Over. Under. Under.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: I'm with Stoeten.
[Comment From JamesJames: ]
Are you as concerned about Cecil's lack of velocity as I am? Especially how no one seems to know the reason behind it
Dustin Parkes: I'm not concerned in the least. This happens from time to time, and we'll be given reason to worry if he's still hitting low velocities in May.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: Parkes just shat on your concern, James. The biggest concern is that Cecil doesn't bring any angst or worry with him into the season and listens to the people he's supposed to be listening to.
Then there was a lot of back and forth on who was going to be in the WS. Parkes likes Red Sox/Rockies.
[Comment From Stoets McGoatsStoets McGoats: ] People forget how shaky the Sox rotation gets after Bucholz and Lester...
Drew Fairservice: I think Josh Beckett is a decent candidate to bounce back strong. And they're bullpen is deep. And they'll score many, many, many runs.
Dustin Parkes: Fair enough. But calling Beckett shaky is a little bit off, no?
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: No, it's right on. His numbers have gone done every year since 2007. Plus he is prone to back issues. Plus, I just hate him.
[Comment From JKent: ] How does Adrian Gonzalez adjust to the AL East? A lot of people picking him for MVP.
Dustin Parkes: I think they see a LH power hitter moving from Petco to Fenway, and the prospect of that makes people lose their mind.
Stoeten: Gonzalez would hit in any division, I think. And in that park, yeah... he'll be good.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: It'll be interesting. If he sucks, SOSH will be sure to be passive aggressively racist towards him.
[Comment From Quatre-cingt cinq: ]Is Boston a sneaky place where Fielder might end up? Big Papi may regress any day now - or run out of eye drops.
Dustin Parkes: Discounting the Yankees or Red Sox on Pujols or Fielder is dumb
Drew Fairservice: I can't see the Red Sox paying that much for a DH if they're going to sign Adrian Gonzalez long term. He or Youk will have to move there at some point.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: NL lifers who are still young might resist becoming DHs in the near future. Plus, there has been some argument that removing the defensive duties from a player effects his offensive production. A focus thing. I don't think it's so cut and dried, but I agree it's dumb to count either Yankees or Sox out of the running for Pujols or Fielder.
Comment From Guest: ] Parkes/Stoeten: I love your guys blogs etc. and read them daily... Here's a question, where is your guys favourite place to go for interesting reads re: Jays... ?
Drew Fairservice: WELL! Let me tell you about a blog...
Dustin Parkes: I read Tao and Ghostrunner regularly, but that's about it. I still check in on Hum and Chuck and Blue Jay Hunter though. Otherwise it's fairly link driven.
Stoeten: Ghostrunner is fantastic, as is the Tao, and I love that Jon Hale has been posting again. I always have to read anything FanGraphs says about the Jays, and Jeff Blair always has some nuggets buried in whatever he writes, too. I hear Richard Griffin has a halfway decent mailbag. Bluebird Banter is on top of shit. And yeah, H&C, BJ Hunter, and a bunch of sites like that are great-- too many to list, really, and new ones coming to us to add them to the blogroll all the time.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: The correct answer is Hum and Chuck. And Jeff Blair is back to writing baseball again.
Comment From PdcDPdcD: ] who's the next current Jay to sign a multi year deal?
Drew Fairservice: That's a great question. I say Snider, depending on how this season plays out
Stoeten: Very possible.
Dustin Parkes: Yeah, I'm with Drew. Snider has to be that guy.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: Morrow. Of course, depending on the season, but Morrow and Snider seem most likely.
[Comment From itsgettinglate: ] on a scale of 1-10 how concerned are you about Snider's eating habits? 1 being not very concerned
Dustin Parkes: -10. Snider knows what he's doing and actually came to camp lighter than he's been since grade eight. Eventually the metabolism will catch up and eventually he'll probably become a DH or 1B, but for now just enjoy the humour.
Drew Fairservice: -10. Dude is a machine. I'd be more concerned were he on the "only Mountain Dew and candy" diet of Lamar Odom.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: Odom also has a steady diet of Kardashian. So unless Kim dumps Kris Humphries, and trades Hump Time for Snide Time, I think things are cool. And holy shit, Snider was big 13 year old.
Drew Fairservice: Rajai Davis?
Stoeten: The way people keep talking about Encarnacion it's not going to be a surprise if he kills it. I'd put my money on Rajai Davis as well.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: Likely, it will be no one, because Bautista had the kind of magical season that happen very rarely in this game. But I suspect Encarnacion is going to do well just because he looks damn fit. And as Parkes points out, another season of wrist healing.
[Comment From KathsportKathsport: ]
do you guys think the Jays are gonna have a huge upper hand over the sox' pitching because of Farrell??
Dustin Parkes: This is a good question, but I think the upper hand actually comes from Farrell knowing how pitchers approach certain Blue Jays in at bats.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: The other thing Farrell knows are scouting reports and flaws of hitters from the opposite perspective. But I'm guessing the upper-hand won't be huge. If it were, the Yankees would've been hiring rival pitching coaches for a long time now. It probably balances out.
Stoeten: I agree with Parkes on that one. It should be interesting to watch how they handle the Sox, though-- and how the SOSH types react if we get to their pitchers.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: Ah yes, the SOSH types are never not fun.
[Comment From Andy McAndy Mc: ]
Over / Under 1. Bautista 32 HR; 2. Davis 60 SB; 3. Escobar .350 OBP
Dustin Parkes: 1. Under 2. Under 3. Under.
Drew Fairservice: Underunderunder
Stoeten: Over. Under. Under.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: I'm with Stoeten.
[Comment From JamesJames: ]
Are you as concerned about Cecil's lack of velocity as I am? Especially how no one seems to know the reason behind it
Dustin Parkes: I'm not concerned in the least. This happens from time to time, and we'll be given reason to worry if he's still hitting low velocities in May.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: Parkes just shat on your concern, James. The biggest concern is that Cecil doesn't bring any angst or worry with him into the season and listens to the people he's supposed to be listening to.
Then there was a lot of back and forth on who was going to be in the WS. Parkes likes Red Sox/Rockies.
[Comment From Stoets McGoatsStoets McGoats: ] People forget how shaky the Sox rotation gets after Bucholz and Lester...
Drew Fairservice: I think Josh Beckett is a decent candidate to bounce back strong. And they're bullpen is deep. And they'll score many, many, many runs.
Dustin Parkes: Fair enough. But calling Beckett shaky is a little bit off, no?
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: No, it's right on. His numbers have gone done every year since 2007. Plus he is prone to back issues. Plus, I just hate him.
[Comment From JKent: ] How does Adrian Gonzalez adjust to the AL East? A lot of people picking him for MVP.
Dustin Parkes: I think they see a LH power hitter moving from Petco to Fenway, and the prospect of that makes people lose their mind.
Stoeten: Gonzalez would hit in any division, I think. And in that park, yeah... he'll be good.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: It'll be interesting. If he sucks, SOSH will be sure to be passive aggressively racist towards him.
[Comment From Quatre-cingt cinq: ]Is Boston a sneaky place where Fielder might end up? Big Papi may regress any day now - or run out of eye drops.
Dustin Parkes: Discounting the Yankees or Red Sox on Pujols or Fielder is dumb
Drew Fairservice: I can't see the Red Sox paying that much for a DH if they're going to sign Adrian Gonzalez long term. He or Youk will have to move there at some point.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: NL lifers who are still young might resist becoming DHs in the near future. Plus, there has been some argument that removing the defensive duties from a player effects his offensive production. A focus thing. I don't think it's so cut and dried, but I agree it's dumb to count either Yankees or Sox out of the running for Pujols or Fielder.
Comment From Guest: ] Parkes/Stoeten: I love your guys blogs etc. and read them daily... Here's a question, where is your guys favourite place to go for interesting reads re: Jays... ?
Drew Fairservice: WELL! Let me tell you about a blog...
Dustin Parkes: I read Tao and Ghostrunner regularly, but that's about it. I still check in on Hum and Chuck and Blue Jay Hunter though. Otherwise it's fairly link driven.
Stoeten: Ghostrunner is fantastic, as is the Tao, and I love that Jon Hale has been posting again. I always have to read anything FanGraphs says about the Jays, and Jeff Blair always has some nuggets buried in whatever he writes, too. I hear Richard Griffin has a halfway decent mailbag. Bluebird Banter is on top of shit. And yeah, H&C, BJ Hunter, and a bunch of sites like that are great-- too many to list, really, and new ones coming to us to add them to the blogroll all the time.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: The correct answer is Hum and Chuck. And Jeff Blair is back to writing baseball again.
Comment From PdcDPdcD: ] who's the next current Jay to sign a multi year deal?
Drew Fairservice: That's a great question. I say Snider, depending on how this season plays out
Stoeten: Very possible.
Dustin Parkes: Yeah, I'm with Drew. Snider has to be that guy.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: Morrow. Of course, depending on the season, but Morrow and Snider seem most likely.
[Comment From itsgettinglate: ] on a scale of 1-10 how concerned are you about Snider's eating habits? 1 being not very concerned
Dustin Parkes: -10. Snider knows what he's doing and actually came to camp lighter than he's been since grade eight. Eventually the metabolism will catch up and eventually he'll probably become a DH or 1B, but for now just enjoy the humour.
Drew Fairservice: -10. Dude is a machine. I'd be more concerned were he on the "only Mountain Dew and candy" diet of Lamar Odom.
Joanna, Hum and Chuck: Odom also has a steady diet of Kardashian. So unless Kim dumps Kris Humphries, and trades Hump Time for Snide Time, I think things are cool. And holy shit, Snider was big 13 year old.